Sanwo-Olu’s Second Term Endorsement And MURIC’s Split-hair Protest

BY OLABODE OPESEITAN

The founder of MUSLIM RIGHTS CONCERN (MURIC), Ishaq Akintola, has so degenerated in his contemptibility that many are beginning to wonder if his true intentions are not to set Nigeria in general and Lagos in particular needlessly on religious inferno.

He has elevated his notoriety for rabble-rousing to an unprecedented height of absurdity. His saber rattling this time is the endorsement of a second term ticket by ASIWAJU BOLA AHMED TINUBU for Babajide Sanwo-Olu through the Governor’s Advisory Council (GAC), a concept popularised in the United States.

A leader who has been on the short end of the stick of public outrage of recent has done well by making a right judgement call on the Sanwo-Olu issue and he (Ishaq) still wants to abort the goodwill accruing to Asiwaju therefrom.

His grouse: Giving Sanwo-Olu an opportunity to serve a second term as Lagos State Governor is provocative. He also saw it as injustice to Muslims because it means Christians would serve three consecutive terms in office as Governor of Lagos State. Where is the provocation? Where is the injustice? Hollow!!!

Ishaq comes across as uninformed on an issue he is championing.

Between Tinubu and Babatunde Raji Fashola, Muslims served 16 unbroken years (4 terms) as Governor of Lagos State. Christians made no fuss about it. For the better part of Fashola’s tenure, religion was hardly an issue. He did his best to be fair to all and his wife is even a staunch Christian, same as Asiwaju’s wife.

Through some of its statements, MURIC is behaving like it is on a mission: to fan the embers of religious crises in Nigeria. This is not the time to play the shallow politics of religiosity. The big ticket issues we should be talking about are Sanwo-Olu’s plans for Lagos in healthcare delivery, education, infrastructure, transportation, social welfare, renewable energy, digital technology and de-risking the business environment in his second term so that more opportunities can open up for entrepreneurs to thrive.

The MURIC man should stop his accelerated disintegration into becoming the butt of jokes. Can he begin to act as a bridge to make Muslims and Christians live together harmoniously to promote peace in the society?

MURIC’s bigotry is troubling and I believe it is off-putting to many liberal and peace-loving Muslims.

MURIC’s slogan, Dialogue, not violence, is ennobling. Its tonal inflections should match its noble motto.

Opeseitan is a business leader and social commentator